Events

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• Cabaret Fundraiser
“where we raise funds to do our work”

Our annual Cabaret Fundraiser is SLJ’s main fundraising event. The event accomplishes several goals; it raises funds for general operating expenses, serves as a venue for our artistic director to workshop new creative ideas and presents other community artists in a relaxed Cabaret setting. 

 

• Studio Performance and Panel Discussion
“where we ask questions and document our history”

This event is designed to document our oral history and build community.
Dance and dialogue are used to unite diverse communities and introduce important topics that are not often tackled in mainstream media.

In January of 2007, at our first studio performance and panel discussion, panelists discussed the Importance of Using the Arts to Make Social Commentary. Our guests included Pepon Osorio/installation artist, Kevin Jeff/ choreographer and Charles Anderson/ choreographer. Each panelist discussed a personal work inspired by the topic of HIV/AIDS. It was a very powerful evening with a group of socially conscious artists inspired to tackle complex social issues in their work. The Honorable Councilwoman Blondell-Reynolds Brown welcomed the crowd of Philadelphians and members of the International Federation of Black Prides.

 

• Ebony, Beige and Bronze: The Philadelphia Show
“where we entertain, inspire and give back”

Even though AIDS has been transformed from a certain death sentence to a chronic illness for many, it continues to affect both the performing arts and African-American communities profoundly. The Smoke, Lilies and Jade Arts Initiative (SLJ), a socially conscious dance theater production company, has crafted a multimedia artistic tribute to some of the talented African-Americans whose lives AIDS has claimed.

The performance is timed to coincide with Philadelphia’s annual Black Gay Pride Week festivities. Last year, more than 350,000 people attended Black Gay Pride events in 30 cities across the country, including 8,000 participants in Philadelphia.

In 2008 Ebony, Beige and Bronze: The Philadelphia Show will be one of the cultural highlights in a series of cultural events promoted by Philadelphia Black Gay Pride, House of Monolo Blahnik and Sapphire Fund for Black Gay Pride Week this year. Our aim is to expand the audience for Black Gay Pride offerings while raising awareness of important issues through arts and culture.

Programs

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SLJ Documentary Project
“where we document our history”

This project began as a series of interviews with 12 men from the African- American LGBT community as a way to develop spoken word and multi-media material for Ebony, Beige and Bronze: The Philadelphia Show.
The unedited interviews turned out to be a cultural treasure of  Philadelphia’s LGBT and HIV/AIDS  history.

As we document and collect more information we are working with The Black Gay Archivist Society of Philadelphia to secure a home for these important documents.

Dance and Spoken Word Workshop with The Attic Youth Center
“where we mentor our youth”

This yearly twelve week project connects us to the youth in our community and helps us understand their point of view about a variety complex social issues. During the workshop, the youth are introduced to the performing arts through dance and spoken-word. The workshop includes a rigorous rehearsal process in which they learn the skill of choreography and art of dance performance. Spoken Word is used as a tool to cultivate self- expression and awareness.